Love Beyond Time: A Bittersweet Wedding

A lasting commitment

If you were dying, would you want to take your last opportunity to marry the love of your life?

Many facing incurable illness have little time to ponder these decisions. To make the most of the precious time they have left, they bond themselves to their significant other. As a way for their love to be celebrated, a symbol of their commitment to each other that will live on.

A hospice wedding

Tim, the Spiritual Care Lead at our hospice partner St Helena Hospice has facilitated numerous weddings. A wedding held by a hospice holds a profound significance that goes beyond traditional celebrations. It's a poignant reminder that love is not bound by circumstances or timelines.

Choosing to exchange vows within the walls of a hospice signifies a deep commitment to each other. It's an embodiment of the human spirit's resilience, an affirmation that even in the face of life's most challenging moments, love can thrive.

The decision underlines the essence of cherishing every fleeting moment and finding beauty in the midst of adversity. It teaches us that love's strength is magnified when it becomes a beacon of light in the darkest of times.

At a wedding that was recently celebrated at the St Helena Hospice, he gave these inspiring words to the newlywedded couple:

“Weddings are always exciting! Being witnesses to two people publicly professing their love for each other is a beautiful privilege. But here at the Hospice, it feels particularly important. It’s important because it’s a reminder to all of us that love wins.

In the face of hardship and illness, today is a reminder, not just to the two of you, but to all of us here at St Helena, that light continues to break through, that hope continues to shine, and that love sits triumphant.

Don’t underestimate how much this means to us, and how big an impact it will have on the staff, volunteers and other patients around you.

Today is your day though, not ours. And I want to encourage you to live it fully.”

A love story 

Their story is a reminder that love isn't bound by time or place. It's a force that can weather the storms of life, finding strength in the most unexpected of circumstances. This wedding wasn't a tale of tragedy, but a story of courage, of embracing love in all its forms. It's a reminder to us all that love's power transcends even the most heart-wrenching of moments, leaving behind an enduring legacy that echoes in the hearts of those who witnessed it.